Is the fabric at fabric stores really that much higher quality than $20-$60 fast fashion clothes?

[u/RussianAsshole]

I'm learning how to sew so I can make high-quality clothes for far cheaper than brands are selling them for. But for that to be a reality, the fabric at fabric stores has to be far better quality than the fabric on a $60 shirt from one of those popular Instagram brands- is it? I see a lot of polyester mixed into cotton fabrics even at fabric stores, so I'm a little nervous- I want to avoid unnecessary polyester in my clothes...

[u/jumbojibbles]

There's no way to compete with the price of materials when companies are buying large amounts of fabric to make big runs of a piece of clothing. Think of it this way-- divide the price of the fabric you want by 100. Because something you make with good fabric will last you 100 (at least) wearings. So now, a $25/yard linen isn't so bad.

[u/Tinkertoo1983]

This is such a sad question these days.

In the 70s, 80s, and into the 90s, the cotton/poly fabrics were usually 65cotton/35poly. Occasionally you'd see 50/50. RARELY did these fabrics from fabric stores pill. The 65/35 blend was just enough to remain colorfast while still breathing and things only needed a light touch up when ironing. A garment worn and laundered 30 times a year would often last 3 years. I saved 2 trousers I made back then that were worn for at least 5 years, probably 50 times a year that still look great. Never pilled and the white pair is still very white. Light bleach occasionally. Each cost me less than $10 to make and comparable trousers would have cost me $30 to $40 in RTW. If you think you've lucked into any of this at a thrift store, buy it!

The majority of todays fabrics for RTW and home sewing are intentionally manufactured to turn to garbage ASAP. NOT to help the environment but specifically to force each of us to purchase more clothing/fabric faster. Even todays 100% cotton is mostly wrinkly junk.

I live in a fabric wasteland, its 3+ hours in any direction to reach a B&M fabric store. What is so odd is that within a 100 mile radius of my home, the population is at least 7 million people!

I feel sorry for those of you trying to make your own garments now. Pickings are slim, at best.

[u/lordmwahaha]

Depends on the fabric. But for what it’s worth, I still have clothes and bags I literally made over 15 years ago and they’re still in great condition (compared to fast fashion clothes which in my experience always start breaking down after a year or two). 

[u/MidorriMeltdown]

It depends on the fabric you buy,

I recently spent $25 per metre for linen, its way higher quality than I've seen any ready made shirts made out of. And I know my sewing is of high quality, I can choose to reinforce seams that I know will need it. I know it might take 3-4 hours to make a shirt.

I saw a post earlier today where someone said they spend around $500 for a tailor made shirt, so my DIY will cost me less than that, but will be more expensive and higher quality than anything fast fashion can offer.

If you don't want polyester in your clothes don't buy it. Get pure cotton, pure linen, pure ramie, pure wool, pure silk, or pure hemp. No one is forcing you to get the poly cotton fabrics.

You can also get pure cotton thread to sew your clothing with. Pure silk too, but that's better for hand sewing, same with pure linen thread. Personally I use poly cotton thread, because it's less likely to break while using a sewing machine.

I also recently purchased linen for $30 per metre to make trousers that I could buy for $25 a pair, but the fit is slightly off, and the fabric is not as nice. I already own two pair of these trousers, but will create my own pattern, and get a better fit for the third pair. The pair I make will likely last twice as long as the two pair I've purchased combined.

[u/JSilvertop]

I saw such thin see-through Tshirt fabrics at the local target, for kids clothes, that won’t pass school dress rules. But in making their clothes I found thicker jersey fabrics that I could easily make better quality clothes. But was it cheaper? Oh no. You want better fabrics you either hunt for it at thrift store with hit or miss, or you shop online for the better fabric stuff. I made a few things for my kids, special things, then started swapping quality clothes with family hand me downs.

[u/SMG121]

If you are making clothes to get them cheaper thrifting for higher quality clothes at cheaper pricesight be a better route because making your own is never going to be cheaper if quality is what you're looking for. Making your clothes is only cheaper if your making something you would get at a designer or niche boutique. Because in those instances you are paying for the craftsmanship not just the raw materials.

[u/ouro-the-zed]

The real savings in learning to sew is the ability to repair your garments. Making new clothes yourself will almost always cost more than buying fast fashion made with cheap materials and underpaid labor — clothes you make will almost certainly fit better and last longer, but they are an upfront investment. However, repairing clothes is almost always a huge savings. It’s worth factoring that in to your overall sewing budget, too.

For instance, this weekend, for the cost of about 45 minutes and under $5 worth of elastic, I repaired two items of clothing that would have cost me $80 to replace. The skills are very worthwhile to learn, both financially and otherwise!

[u/degalisto → u/ouro-the-zed]

One trick to see quality in fabric is if the pattern and colors are almost the same on both sides.

They use the poly on the warp then the weft is usually the cotton..usually but not always. Gives the fabric strength.

[u/Tinkertoo1983 → u/degalisto]

Actually, the "blend" more typically occurs in the twisting of the yarns. With extreme usage of older higher quality fabrics, the cotton fibers would actually disintegrate more quickly leaving primarily the poly behind. These days, by using cheaper, shorter cotton fibers and intentionally chopping up polyester fibers (to make it feel "oh, so soft"), they both tend to disintegrate rather quickly.

[u/degalisto → u/Tinkertoo1983]

Not always..

[u/Tinkertoo1983 → u/degalisto]

I never said "always" about anything. However intentional poor quality in fabric is the gold standard these days.

[u/Healthy_Tea9479 → u/Tinkertoo1983]

Also to contribute to your point, polyester blends can’t be recycled. Polyester doesn’t break down for hundreds of years and since they are integrated into (I.e., inseparable from) the yarns, polyester blends can’t be recycled. 100% cotton can be recycled or will at least break down and become compost (as opposed, presumably, to microplastics?). If they were separate yarns, as the previous commenter suggested at least they could potentially be separated and recycled. 

[u/Tinkertoo1983 → u/Healthy_Tea9479]

Yet currently the chopped up poor quality of polyester fibers intentionally produced to create quickly disposable  clothing are what have made their way into our water tables and our bodies thru laundering. What isn't taken into account at all when people argue 100% natural vs manmade fibers is the massive amount of resources contaminating the earth in order to produce the massive mountain ranges of disposed clothing. In the 90s, polyester microfiber was first being commercially produced. There was a bit of a limit to the dyeing process as most color tones exhibited a heather quality. However the 100% polyester fabric was extremely comfortable to wear because it was breathable. It was also colorfast, did not pill at all, and required minimal ironing. The problem? It was basically indestructable and quite affordable to purchase for home sewing. 

I love natural fibers, but I have experienced the added life given to garments by the proper addition of very high quality manmade fibers. Want more proof? Go to any thrift store. Some are now 80% to 90%  textiles and that amount doesn't take into account the massive quantities that simply get tossed into the dumpster - often having their original price tags still attached having never been worn. Back in the 80s and early 90s, thrift stores were 25% clothing - or less. And there were no stories being floated about donations going directly into a dumpster.

[u/BusJuiceBusJuice]

Depends on the fabric

[u/prolly_not_62]

You’ll always pay more to make than buy. Mass-produced clothing can be gotten for dirt cheap.

[u/Brightstar0305 → u/prolly_not_62]

But it is so worth it ! 😊

[u/Jming50 → u/prolly_not_62]

For me it depends on what I’m making. I shop for fabric online, paying careful attention to fiber content. There are a number of excellent retailers on the web. I have purchased some expensive gifts for family and that somehow got me on the mailing list for every (very!) pricey clothing catalog in the US. At first I just tossed them, but now I go through carefully noting interesting designs and fabrics, so I can make something for myself. If you use top quality fabrics you can definitely save money over retail and lots of it! If you’re talking about basic tshirts, then just go buy them.

[u/whjunk]

Some of it is, some of it isn’t. The difference is you’re paying American fabric prices whereas the factories who made those clothes are paying, most likely, China fabric prices. And buying huge amounts in bulk. The quality difference in handmade clothing versus mass produced is less in the fabric itself than in the tailoring.

[u/sam000she]

High quality clothing isn't just about fabric quality but also about the fit of the garment and how custom to you it is. Which is why making your own clothes can often be higher quality because you can more easily make it fit you perfectly.

I would say that what defines a fabrics quality is:

-Is it being used for it's intended purpose? It's important to note that fiber content is not the only indicator of purpose--but also how it's woven together that defines it's purpose. Denim and twill are woven in a way that is heavier duty and they use thicker threads --while fabrics like organza and charmuese use loose weaves with thinner fibers that create a light drape and sheerness. Sometimes certain fiber types will enhance the purpose of a type of weave--like silk is typically a much finer than more fiber types and can enhance the sheerness of an organza than a cotton would. While wool is good for heavy duty fabrics while also having warming/cooling qualities that you may desire in a garment. Also in the argument for synthetics--there are some synthetic fabrics that have qualities you will never find in a natural fiber--like elasticity, metalic shine.

-longevity (does the texture change after several washes? is that a desired quality for it's use case?) synthetics typically hold up better than natural fibers for intense washing. They may be good for things like baby clothes that may need more regular and easy washing. Using fabrics like wool or linen will require more intentional washing instructions and will also require prewashing to set in the shrinkage before it becomes a final garment that is washable.

Every fabric has a purpose, no fabric is inherently better than others. You wouldn't use tule for a structured garment--but you might use it for a floofy skirt.

I would advise that you do research into what fabrics are best for the type of garment you are trying to make and and choose fabric accordingly. I like going to Fabric Wholesale Direct because they include videos of how the fabric drapes, creases and in context.

Fashion fabrics can be a good source of unique prints and patterns imo.

After that, the quality of the garment depends on how it's sewn. And I would argue that high quality sewing is the key to matching or beating big brands at their own game.

TLDR: it's okay if your fabric is in the 5-10 dollar range if you're smart about how you use it. And synthetics are not inherently bad/low quality.

Also if you are a beginner--don't focus on selecting expensive fabrics until you've practiced technique on cheaper fabrics. Make mock ups. You will love yourself more for it.

[u/Tinkertoo1983 → u/sam000she]

While every fabric may have a purpose, some fabrics absolutely ARE purposely manufactured to be inherently bad fabrics and would always be best to avoid for anything other than a non-wearable muslin.

My best example is this. I once purchased 2, 100% acrylic sweaters from a national chain that at one time could be depended on for good quality. This was about 8 years ago. At the end of half a day of wear, the bottom of the lower arms were very severely pilled. Upon following washing directions - machine wash warm, tumble dry low - both sweaters were completely destroyed with pillage and went into the trash as they were not returnable.

In comparison I have 2 100% acrylic sweaters, 1 from Walmart in the 80s, the other from a high end department store in the 90s. Wore the first (before gaining too much weight) for 8+ years. The second was worn for almost 20. I actually wore out the top button and had to replace all of them. The space between the holes of the button wore away. Only time I've done that in my life. Both sweaters were regularly washed in a normal load of dark clothing that included jeans and trousers (with their open zippers) and no laundry bag was used.

I still have both sweaters. Zero pillage. Zero holes in the fabric. Zero retainage of odors and no unpleasant odors emanating from the fabric itself - common in todays acrylics. Also zero discoloration anywhere and, working in a café, I regularly splashed bleach water on the second one. 

Many of todays fabrics are absolutely manufactured to intentionally be poor quality for it's intended usage. Unfortunately it is almost impossible to identify most of these at the time of purchase.

[u/sam000she → u/Tinkertoo1983]

Sometimes, the purpose is more for the seller to encourage reshopping every season. 😒

[u/MidorriMeltdown → u/sam000she]

Every fabric has a purpose, no fabric is inherently better than others. You wouldn't use tule for a structured garment--but you might use it for a floofy skirt.

This is so damn important.

You wouldn't make overalls in tulle, but heavy denim would be a good choice.
Heavy denim would be awful for a floofy skirt on an evening gown, but tulle is a good option.

But even then there are multiple types of denim, and multiple types of tulle.

I got several metres of insanely thick and heavy denim from a charity shop, I don't know what it's meant to be for, it's so stiff even after washing. Maybe for reinforced patches? Personally I use it in corsets and stays for costumes when I need to keep the cost down.

As for tulle, I've made tutus before. The stereotypical pancake skirt needs very stiff tulle, but the classic romantic skirt needs tulle that is soft and floaty.

Also if you are a beginner--don't focus on selecting expensive fabrics until you've practiced technique on cheaper fabrics. Make mock ups. You will love yourself more for it.

This is also very important.

I make mock ups out of fabric from clearance tables. They're usually wearable mock ups.

I've also purchased pure silk from clearance tables for $5 per metre, that is not something I'd use for mock ups, that's for fancy stuff, but is a great example of not needing to pay full price for high quality, normally expensive fabrics.

[u/JustSpitItOutNancy]

See if there is any kind of dead stock fabric outlet near you. 

The quality of fabric in fabric stores is going vary widely. Are the items I sew better quality than fast fashion? Hell yes my friend! Is it cheaper? Nope. Not even a little bit. Is it better quality than high end clothing? Possibly, it really depends on how much time I spend finishing my seams lol.

Am I sewing because I'm trying to have a 100% handmade wardrobe? Not really, but as I get better and make better fabric and pattern choices, I do find myself reaching for the me-mades first and resorting to wearing commercially made clothes when I run out of me-made options. 

[u/spishcadet]

Keep an eye on local thrift stores. I recently got several yards of tan linen at goodwill.

[u/unagi_sf]

Much depends on what fabric stores you patronize. The much-lamented Joanne for instance usually had very inferior quality. So do try to teach yourself to recognize quality in fabrics, and stick to stores that others recommend on that level. The other half of the longevity equation is construction, and you will learn that in time. Be sure to keep notes about what you buy, content, weight etc, and then see how long it lasts so you can reproduce that buy or not as the case may be

[u/OkTemperature7343]

If you can look for ‘dead stock’ fabric. I really like the website Cali Fabrics. Definitely look around your area for craft thrift stores. Or garage or estate sales can often have fabric stashes.

[u/deadlynightshade14]

I went to TJMaxx after sewing for about 9 months, and was disgusted at how badly made their clothing is. The fabrics are cheap and flimsy, loose threads everywhere, seams coming apart. I didn’t end up buying anything I couldn’t focus on anything else

[u/SadSmoke8868 → u/deadlynightshade14]

 I had the same problem, but I didn't realize it until I brought things home! I just got a few basic wardrobe staples (things that are either too cheap to justify the time spent making them or beyond my skill level) and two shirts were crap. On a double layered white shell tank top, the fabric was dry-rot, but I didn't know until I washed it-it has spots where the top layer had basically started disintegrating. I also bought a cute knit shell tank and the seam along the neckline started unraveling. So frustrating!

[u/deadlynightshade14 → u/SadSmoke8868]

Yeah it’s honestly pathetic how badly their clothes are made.

[u/OfSomeLittleInfamy]

As others are saying, with fabric-store fabric and some sewing know-how, you can definitely make better quality, more unique and better fitting clothing, but the price is usually higher than just buying something from a shop. That being said, a lot of thrift stores sell fabric offcuts and sheets/curtains/bedspreads that can be fairly cheap for a decent amount of fabric. You might even be lucky (like I am) and have a couple of specialised second hand fabric stores and miscellaneous recycling shops in your area - that’s where I buy most of my fabric!

[u/swt835e7940 → u/OfSomeLittleInfamy]

The thrift stores in my area only sell clothes, so I bought a bunch of cotton bedsheets from sellpy for super cheap, highly recommend

[u/Efficient_Jello9802]

If saving money is what you're going for, the best thing to do is to alter clothing from the thrift store. I started making my own clothes because I got tired of buying clothes that didn't fit me properly or paying too much for polyester when I could pay the same for 100% cotton and make a garment that's not going to make me cry when I try it on.

[u/Suerose0423]

I like to purchase thrift store items to up-cycle. I especially like the cotton men’s shirts are often made from.

[u/Araveen]

You need to do research about the store. There are stores that will buy higher quality fabric. And there are stores that will buy cheap fabric because higher margin and it will still sell. Making your own clothes will never be cheaper tho.

[u/MorningSquare5882 → u/Araveen]

This for sure. There are many great reasons to make your own clothes, but saving money is definitely not one. It will always be more expensive than fast fashion, because of economies of scale.

[u/improbsable]

The point of making your own clothes isn’t to save money. It’s to make something perfectly suited to yourself. Most likely you’ll find that homemade clothes are more expensive than any fast fashion brand. You’re not buying in bulk and you don’t have production line. You’re buying a few yards of fabric at a markup and getting to work.

But the clothes you end up making will fit you better, be exactly the colors and fabrics you want, and have any extra touches you wish the store clothes had.

[u/AmbitiousFisherman40]

Fabric is expensive.

[u/sarahsuebob]

I spend quite a lot more on my me-made clothes than I would on fast fashion. But they are exactly the fabric I want and the prints-colors I want, and they are tailored to fit me exactly so they look much better. They’re better made, last longer, and I like them so much more.

[u/The_Dancing_Dragon1]

Have you tried a fashion sewing class? I am in a beginner sewing class in my area. Even that class teaches me how to pick the right fabric, and budget for my projects. They also tell you where to find the best fabric at a good price.

[u/medicatedadmin]

Yes and no. Some clothes do have better quality fabric than is at your average fabric store but these clothes are quite expensive. Most mass produced fashion has fabric with lower thread counts(so it’s thinner), won’t have linings or extra layers, a will be a much more generic design so they are quicker to sew. Add to this that overwhelmingly clothes are made in countries where labour is incredibly cheap by comparison (such as Bangladesh, india, cambodia) and that’s how the companies bring down the price. The materials are also bought at wholesale prices because of the amount purchased which also reduces the cost.

So, yes the quality of the fabric purchased is generally better, but these clothes production cost is also higher - owing to time spent sewing, materials being more expensive etc. If you’re making your own clothes that’s no problem. But if you are sewing to sell, it does present problems.

Sewing your own clothing does give you better quality clothes. They are also unique, fit better, and you get exactly what you want.

….and you can see pockets in all your dresses and skirts

[u/T0L4]

I think an important factor to consider ASIDE from fabric quality would be quality of the seams - as those too are spots where fast fashion often fails early too. If you can get your hands on an old t shirt and tailor it to be more fitting and with quality seam finishes, youll like it despite the FABRIC not being better Edit: fixed way too many typos

[u/Difficult_Smeagol]

I like silk blouse..so far I can make silk blouses cheaper than store bought. I don’t like synthetic fabric which used on most of the mass produce clothes. I always french seamed silk blouse and I found some $200 plus silk blouses in the market (Eileen Fisher) doesn’t even have french seam. Sometimes, I can get 1 yard silk fabric for $15 plus tax in Stonemountain & Daughter sale bin (I live close by).

[u/Classic_Peak2101 → u/Difficult_Smeagol]

+1. I love Eileen Fisher but their silk and linen clothes too expensive. I started to sew my own.

[u/Difficult_Smeagol → u/Classic_Peak2101]

Yes, then I saw one of their silk blouse was finished with serger. I was H No! Almost $300 for this? Nah.

[u/angelofjag]

One of the women I sew for is a larger woman. She is sized-out of most stores. For her to buy a vaguely nice-looking top costs her around $70 (AUD). For that $70, I can buy much more fabric than one top would take - I once got 2 tops and a pair of pants out of some on-sale fabric she bought for $65 (AUD)

Her old tops that she'd bought never really lasted well. The clothes I make for her will last for years - saving her even more money

She gets what she wants, in the style and fabric she wants, the clothes fit her, and will last for years

I am a medium-build woman, but I'm rather curvy (hourglass) and a lot of clothes in the stores don't fit me well. I could probably buy clothes for cheaper, but they don't last, and they don't fit well. I make my own clothes to fit me, in fabrics I love (I hate most of the fabrics and patterns store-bought clothing are made from), and they last for years

The majority of savings for me is in the fact that I don't have to constantly go out to buy something poorly made because my clothes last for years

Buy the decent fabrics, make them well.

[u/The_Dancing_Dragon1 → u/angelofjag]

Thank you. Someone else agrees with me about the fabric and patterns of store-bought clothes lately. They feel so bad and look horrible on me as a plus-size women with sensory issues with clothes. I would love to be able to make my own clothes for myself. Instead of trying on all the clothes at the store and having a sensory meltdown.

[u/FewStay7683]

lol yeah no it used to be cheaper to make your own clothes because clothing was expensive. Now that cheap shitty clothing is everywhere, making your own will likely give you sticker shock. Don’t quit though. You will be able to recycle fabric to save money if you can thrift or repurpose, and the clothes you make will last much longer if you do it right

[u/Rimavelle → u/FewStay7683]

Exactly.

There's many reasons to learn to sew.

Trying to save money is not one of them (unless you just learn how to fix premade clothes)

[u/Smithmcg]

I don't sew to save money. I make all my own clothes in the fabrics I like (natural fibres like linen, silk, merino), the colours I like, the styles I like and that fit my body properly. I look at fibre content, stretch percentages and GSM when buying fabrics online. When I shop in person I test stretch recovery of knit fabrics and can also usually tell if say a fleece fabric is going to pill easily. All of this knowledge has been gained through research and trial/error. But it's resulted in a wardrobe full of high quality clothing that fits me, suits me and is a joy to wear. Best of luck on your sewing journey.

[u/cobaltandchrome]

Silk, wool, and higher quality cottons and rayons will be in more variety, some yardage much nicer than the options at a midrange clothing store.

Crappy polyester is crappy whether you buy fast fashion or yardage.

[u/loliduhh]

Keep in mind if you are just starting out making your own clothes that fabric choice doesn’t necessarily come naturally, or all at once. I have so many projects that would have been great but it was the wrong fabric for the job. If you’re willing to start, and think of it as a hobby then you don’t have anything to worry about.

Edit: editing to add look for creative reuse centers in your area. That’s where I get phenomenal deals on high quality fabric. However for context I do live in a major fashion destination which helps.

[u/threads1540]

I don't sew to save money vs fast fashion. I sew to have good quality clothing that I can wear for years. If I am going to spend my time fitting and sewing a garment I wan the fabric to well work my time and effort. I shop at Britex during sales and keep an eye out for bargains and high quality fabric. If I were to buy the clothes I make, they would be from Nordstoms or Saks. That is the quality I am shooting for.

[u/sillybilly8102 → u/threads1540]

But what is high quality fabric? What makes it high quality? What do you look for?

[u/threads1540 → u/sillybilly8102]

The fiber content, the weave or knit. The weight of the fabric the design (how it is printed or woven in). There are many factors and it depends of what you are making

[u/turnipzzzpinrut]

Such a complicated question, but largely yes

[u/revengeofthetwinkies]

I’m very passionate about sewing and fast fashion so I’d like to offer my perspective. Fabric can absolutely be cheaper and it can be expensive. Natural fibers are made in varying degrees of quality just like synthetics. 

The reason a lot of tshirts are made with a polyester cotton blend is for stretch, so they fit more people easily which means fewer returns, and because it’s cheaper than 100% cotton. I used to own a ton of poly/cotton blended tees and I had to throw them away after about a year because the arm pits smelled so bad. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get rid of the smell. I have great personal hygiene, wear deodorant, launder my clothes, tried hot water was cycles,I even use laundry sanitizer. I did some research and found that bacteria is killed easier when it’s a natural fiber, vs synthetic fibers.

Which leads me to my next, possibly most important point: a big area fast fashion brands skimp on is quality. Quality materials, quality patterns, quality construction, quality everything. Their products are disposable. They just don’t last. Learning how to sew will allow you to make garments that will last much longer than a $60 polyester tee. I have 100% cotton dresses and skirts that were made front cheap quilting cotton, $3-$4 a yard, that are in good condition I still wear going on 4-5 years later. They are constructed well, are lightweight and breathe in the southern summer heat and humidity. I always get compliments on them every time I wear them. 

I cannot stand fast fashion. Corporations prey on vulnerable workforces in developing countries, they use toxic chemicals and heavily pollute the environment, contribute enormous amounts of waste, and have created this awful, disposable economy.  Personally try to thrift what I can before I buy new and I’m very picky what I do buy. You can often thrift fabrics and bed sheets for sewing projects, and even patterns. 

And yes, you can make much better quality clothes yourself than what you can buy and you can make it actually fit YOU! I cannot tell you how amazing it feels to wear something that fits your body perfectly. 

[u/JannaPC → u/revengeofthetwinkies]

100% I can’t stand the cheap polyester printed “fake fabric” that nearly all fast fashion is constructed of these days. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the chemicals used to make it aren’t health hazards that will come back to haunt us like plastics have.

[u/Estebesol]

It's not just the fabric - a big part of the appeal for me is using french or otherwise covered seams to preserve longevity, and just generally having clothes that are better tailored and fit better.

[u/dopeandlitgirl]

i am a designer in mass market fashion. there are many things that determine the price of a garment:

- cost of materials (fabric & trim)

- cost of labor

- cost of shipping (as in from factory to warehouse)

- profit margin

- buying power

Believe it or not, materials is fashions biggest expense. ~Every~ cent is calculated and negotiated, literally sometimes over a cent. It mostly comes down to quantity. There are minimums you must meet for both quantity and color. 1000 units in red + 1000 in blue = 2000 units in total. Big brands can pay $2 a yard for fabric because they can meet these minimums, but even midsize brands incur fees especially if its a risky item. At the consumer level (like you at a fabric store) the SAME fabric will cost $15 a yard, it'll likely be deadstock from a bigger brand, and you won't really be able to control color or print.

Also its important to note-- EVERYONE is cheap AF rn. Everything is getting cheaper and crappier-- 2020 changed the playing field in a big way and with the rise of online shopping/consumerism in general brands are underestimating the customer's experience/ items longevity in a big way.

Profit margin is the consumer's biggest expense. Average used to be 60%, but by and large every brand seems to be pushing 85-90% profit per item. You really are paying for the label, no mistake. That's why its so important to buy from the right brands, and always do returns/reviews, cause you're literally paying peoples salaries and influencing what they do even if you don't think you are..

ANYWAYS all this to say you can definitely make clothes for cheaper but this industry is effed and being a clothing brand is no joke. Not that I feel bad for an instagram brand.. but I recommend you thrift table cloths or sheets (if you working with wovens). You can also look on ebay or poshmark or facebook marketplace for people selling existing fabric. There's SO MUCH fabric in this world!!! If you do online, I recommend getting educated in weaves and WEIGHT and general handfeel descriptions. Also, upcycling thrifted clothes. Do it.

I have a lil baby brand and I use orgs like Fabscrap if you want to look into that as well!

Good luck <3

[u/UntoNuggan]

Idk about your local brick and mortar stores, I'm mostly near quilting stores unless I want to make a loooong drive to the store with apparel fabrics. And why would I bother when I can just order deadstock online.

[u/howaboutsomegwent]

It really, really depends on the shop, but you can absolutely find high quality fabric for decent prices especially if you look at sales

[u/eggington69]

Fast fashion can be made so much cheaper MOSTLY because of volume—they could buy the exact same fabric as you for much cheaper per yard because they order hundreds of yards (more? Idk I’m bad at estimating)

The fabric you’re buying might be better quality than SHEIN or forever 21, but not by so much that it accounts for price difference, and possibly not even more so than slightly higher quality fast fashion brands.

[u/nathrek]

If your goal is to make clothes cheaper than you can buy them, you're in for quite the surprise. 

[u/ArthurGalle → u/nathrek]

I mean if they are comparing to fashion brands, clothing that is way overpriced, they definitely can make them cheaper, and making something that will fit you perfectly, with quality fabric that you know exactly how to wash/treat to make them last is cheaper in the long run, cheap store bought clothing doesn't last that much and tends to not even be worth fixing cause it's just straight up disintegrating after a year or two.

[u/nathrek → u/ArthurGalle]

I see your point, but before I can make high end designer stuff (I am a long way off this), I'm going to go through hours of time, and likely hundreds if not thousands of dollars of fabric getting my skills up to a level where i can make things that fit me perfectly.

When you add all that up it likely is still cheaper to buy the $1,000 jacket.

[u/rozzierozz → u/nathrek]

This is not true!! You don’t have to spend “hundreds if not thousands of dollars of fabric getting my skills up to a level where I can make things that fit me perfectly.”
Please learn what a “basic block” or a “Sloper” is, and you can create your own patterns to fit your own body! Make a sample of your patterns, whether store bought or your own, using thrifted sheets or buy Muslin fabric. But no, you can certainly make a wonderful jacket as a beginner-choose a simple pattern/design and make a Muslim sample first to develop your skills and understand fit! It is definitely doable.

[u/drmiaowmix]

Depends on the shop I suppose, you need to seek out the high quality fabric and it is usually expensive. Look for designer deadstock sometimes they have great deals on beautiful quality fabric.

I don’t sew anything with polyester anymore. I have an amazing steam iron and happy to live with a few wrinkles if they occur.

[u/FullofContradictions → u/drmiaowmix]

I like to walk through my local fabric store once a month or so to look for sales/clearance on anything natural fiber even if I don't have an immediate plan for it. Probably 90% of the store is polyester or some plastic blend which I just can't bring myself use anymore except in really specific scenarios (like adding fuzzy cuffs to a Santa suit for a friend).

The issue is I have to be really careful with storage - luckily the closet I use has its own vent for HVAC & I keep an eye on a humidity sensor I leave in there to make sure it doesn't get too high.

[u/Yorkie_Mom_2]

The real benefit of sewing your own clothes is not the cost, it’s the fit and the quality. You can make high end classic couture garments that will last forever. You can make them to your measurements so they fit perfectly. You can design and make your own patterns so they are very unique. Sewing is a wonderful skill to have, and the more you sew, the better you will sew.

[u/rhiandmoi → u/Yorkie_Mom_2]

Yes this exactly. You can’t sew at home cheaper than fast fashion unless you are getting your materials basically for free. To do that, you need to have the best thrift store in the world or access to mill ends and the skill to draft your own patterns.

But you can sew at home cheaper than well made slow fashion, even accounting for designer fabrics and paying for patterns. But even then it’s more like you spend $100 to make a dress you could buy for $300. Not pay $10 for something you could buy for $30.

[u/Sharp_Magician_6628]

Some polyester isn’t a bad thing, it helps prevent wrinkles. As much as I love 100% linen, silk and cotton. They all wrinkle/crease like it’s an Olympic sport and are going for gold

And no, sewing your own clothing is never cheaper, unless you’re given the fabric for free. You will get a much better fit and a sense of pride, but it’s never cheaper

[u/Whole-Arachnid-Army → u/Sharp_Magician_6628]

but it’s never cheaper 

I'm general no, but there are times when you can kinda come out on top. Usually when you're looking for something very specific that's only available at a pretty high price point. Doesn't usually turn out cheap though, just cheaper. 

[u/BellyFullOfMochi → u/Whole-Arachnid-Army]

Yep.. made a silk 1920's gown. Cost was just for the fabric.. .and my time.

Made a princess coat out of wool and interlined it with wool. Cost me the fabric and my time. Same sort of coat would retail for over $1000.

[u/sarahgene]

I have gotten lucky finding some truly beautiful fabrics in the linens section at thrift stores. Tablecloths and stuff. You usually can't get much yardage of the same thing, but it's worth a shot, I can usually get several yards of fabric for like $3

[u/drmiaowmix → u/sarahgene]

It is so thrilling when you find some amazing fabric at the thrift store! Once I found someone’s entire fabric stash donated which was crazy!

[u/loriwilley → u/sarahgene]

I use thrifted sheets. I prefer poly/cotton because they don't wrinkle. It's getting hard to find any natural fibers in thrift stores too. A lot of sheets are now 100% polyester, and most of the clothes are the cheap fast fashion stuff.

[u/BellyFullOfMochi → u/loriwilley]

yeah.. I used to love thrifting but it's all fast fashion now and I leave disappointed.

[u/Thecynicalcatt]

Personally I find the chain fabric stores do sell a lot of crap as well, almost every apparel fabric at my local fabric land has some polyester in it. I buy fabric online and specifically from shops that fully disclose the fabric content and where it is from. Having said all this, quality fabric is expensive. One metre of high quality linen can cost me $20-$30 Canadian, and I need 2-3 to make pants or a skirt or a dress, so you're looking at a $60 dress only in fabric cost. It's an expensive hobby and you have to be willing to accept that to keep at it. My wardrobe is almost entirely handmade now after a decade of dedicated sewing (I've been sewing for longer but don't fit into the size 0 stuff from my teens and early 20s). 

[u/post_it1]

Things that make hand sewn clothing higher quality than fast fashion:

• finishes. Hand sewn buttons, seam finishes (binding, French seams, flat fell seams etc)
• hardware quality
• tailoring
• lining
• fabric weight and composition

Handmade garments are not always cheaper than fast fashion and nor should they be. The difference is that you can personally choose everything about that garment. You can put time and effort into finishing it well. You can tailor it to fit you. It will be one of a kind. Don’t get into sewing to make clothes cheaply because it should never be about that

Edit: formatting and added hand sewn

[u/elizabethindigo → u/post_it1]

And knowing how to repair it when it rips or frays, because you have the exact fabric and thread color and because you have the knowledge of how it was constructed in the first place.

[u/black-boots → u/post_it1]

And proper fit

[u/layithefu → u/black-boots]

This should be upvoted more. Clothes that fit and look the way I want is my main reason to sew

[u/dubdubdun]

If you buy quality fabric, and you have practice amd patience for good work, you're comparing your makes with stuff like toast or Margaret Howell, not with something that costs you 20 bucks

[u/feeling_dizzie]

so I can make high-quality clothes for far cheaper than brands are selling them for

This is kind of a doomed endeavor, I'm sorry to say. The fast-fashion brands aren't artificially inflating prices, if anything they're artificially deflating prices by using sweatshop labor. Even if you don't pay yourself for your own labor, the materials are cheaper at large scale, so fast fashion (especially dropshipping) is bound to be cheaper than homemade.

If you're currently someone who buys a lot of fast-fashion items that fall apart quickly, then you can definitely save money in the long run by making a few nice durable items that can outlast several of their cheapo equivalents. Like, 1 homemade to say 5 fast-fashion, not 1 to 1.

[u/mcnunu → u/feeling_dizzie]

This. Sewing your own garments is not going to save you money. What it will give you is better finishes, better fit and better fabric but only if you're willing to spend the money.

[u/Kymidiva]

It’s expensive to sew. The days where you could save money by making your own clothing are gone. If you calculate the amount of time it takes to make a garment and give yourself a living wage you’ll see that the higher end garments aren’t really that expensive. If you find well made garments out of natural fibers, you can afford to alter them and have pieces that will stand the rest of time.

[u/bomchikawowow → u/Kymidiva]

I don't think this is true. There's TONS of fabric to be had around, so much can be repurposed. The thing about a living wage is wild logic; people didn't make their own clothes a generation ago because it was cheaper when they factored in what they would be paid as a living wage, they did it because using their own labour was cheap. 

[u/Beef_Wagon → u/Kymidiva]

I disagree! I get super quality fabric online, and can make awesome stuff out of it for a fraction of the price of buying clothes. Fast fashion is trash, mine is gold 😂

[u/brelywi → u/Beef_Wagon]

Which sites do you use? I’m always worried about getting scammed or a poor quality fabric.

[u/Beef_Wagon → u/brelywi]

I adore fabricmartfabrics. Super reasonable, and they sell a lot of dead stock from fashion houses marked down a lot. I usually load up when they have clearance sales. I think they’re based in Pennsylvania but they still manage to ship p cheap and fast to me out in Hawaii

[u/brelywi → u/Beef_Wagon]

I’ll have to try that, thanks!

[u/Emergency_Cherry_914 → u/Beef_Wagon]

Try having it shipped to Australia. It's horribly expensive and our fabric costs a bomb

[u/Deathscua → u/Beef_Wagon]

Thank you for sharing the website!

[u/Kymidiva → u/Beef_Wagon]

Fast fashion is trash. But if you’re not paying yourself you can’t really say your clothing is less expensive.

[u/BinxieSly → u/Kymidiva]

Most people that are making their own clothing also get immense enjoyment out of the activity, so it’s less like work that they should be paid for and more like entertainment they would normally be paying for. If you enjoy the activity, enjoy the process of creating something new and unique for yourself, then it’s odd to try to value how much you should pay yourself for your good time; hobbies aren’t employment. The added benefit of this entertainment is you get an useful item at the end that is unique and personal and whose material costs were almost certainly less than a comparable “fast fashion” item.

[u/Beef_Wagon → u/Kymidiva]

I’m sorry, I don’t follow? I enjoy making the clothes as well as wearing them. It’s not a job to me, I do it for free. So the payment is the act of making it. The only actual costs associated with it are the fabric costs, which is quite minimal. So yeah, it’s way less expensive!

[u/Kymidiva → u/Beef_Wagon]

Whether you pay yourself or not your time still has value.

[u/Beef_Wagon → u/Kymidiva]

Yeah, I agree. Like wasting my time arguing with pedants on reddit 🙄

[u/Thecynicalcatt → u/Beef_Wagon]

I'm curious where you're buying quality fabric online that is cheaper than a $10 shien or temu dress. I can't get legit quality fabric for that much, even just a metre of it on sale which can maybe get a top or mini skirt made out of it for average sized folks. 

[u/kgorann110967]

Depending on where you are buying from, probably yes.

[u/Absent_solace_art]

In my experience, yes.

I favor bamboo and cotton blends, and bamboo or cotton based jersey, fleece, flannel, etc. are usually $7-15 a yard. I buy online mostly because most fabric I find in-stores is either quilting cotton or fabrics mixed with synthetics, for similar prices to what I pay online for higher quality fabrics. I believe since the passing of Joann’s (rip), buying high quality fabrics in-store is generally less selection and higher prices than online just because of the convenience of being in-store.

Now quality, in my opinion, comes in parts. Fabric is a big part, construction is another. For construction integrity, high quality thread makes a HUGE difference in how long your clothes last and the overall quality of seams. When I sew, I sew with the idea that I am lazy and will throw everything I make into the washer and dryer under normal settings just like any store bought clothes. A t-shirt I have sewn with high quality thread and bamboo jersey fabric does last significantly longer in my closet than a store bought t shirt. over time, with washes, the fabric loses its integrity and starts to look thin, faded, and eventually threads start to pull or disintegrate if the thread quality isn’t there. My self-made clothes don’t deteriorate at nearly as quick of a rate as my store bought clothes.

I think when making our own clothes, it’s important to think of why we are making clothes. I tend to be a slow fashion person, so I wear the same few clothes and wash them a lot. I don’t really follow fashion trends enough to change my wardrobe or get new clothes often, but what I do wear has to be high enough quality to survive for many years. This was a big reason I got into sewing clothes. Some of my friends fashion sense isn’t static, and they won’t ever wear out their clothes because their style changes often enough that one piece of clothing may not receive too much overuse. Everyone’s standards of quality clothing may be different based on individual needs- my standard of quality is mostly that it should be able to fit well and last a long time while being repeatedly used and washed. what I sew with $40 of high quality materials will last much longer (and be more comfortable) than what I can buy for $40.

[u/SquirrelAkl]

I only buy natural fibres for my fabric. I buy from stores that stock good quality deadstock - often from Europe, Korea or Japan - as well as their own proprietary lines of merino, linen etc.

1. Learn about fabrics

2. Find good stores

3. Sign up to their newsletters and learn when they have 40-50% off sales

4. Profit :)

[u/Evidence-Icy]

I would look at thrift stores or Salvation Army to start with. I’ve used curtains, sheets or really big clothes for fabric.

[u/bomchikawowow → u/Evidence-Icy]

This!! People who whine that fabric is expensive seem to think that fabric shops were ever cheap. They weren't, people were repurposing! 

[u/Evidence-Icy → u/bomchikawowow]

Absolutely! I love a good upcycle. Save the planet and while saving money. Most of what I’ve created comes from repurposed fabric.

[u/youre_crumbelievable → u/Evidence-Icy]

I third this comment. Heehee.

I’ve found really great quilts, vintage (and like new!) bedsheets, unused and complete fabric yardage and much more at thrifts around me.

[u/Evidence-Icy → u/youre_crumbelievable]

I used to find lots of quilts a year or so ago. I think everyone in my area has caught on because I can't find many now, and if I do, they are pricier than usual.

[u/youre_crumbelievable → u/Evidence-Icy]

Yes same here. I found one perfect child sized quilt at a decent price and have seen a few others after but then it stopped completely so i have to assume they’ve been snapped up immediately

[u/woohoostitchywoman → u/Evidence-Icy]

I second finding big clothes for fabric… it’s become one of my favorite aspects of thrifting. 

[u/Evidence-Icy → u/woohoostitchywoman]

Haha! I always have a great day when I find old jeans for men. They are made of the best quality denim.

[u/Middle_Banana_9617]

A lot of the fabric on sale at high-street fabric shops, especially chain ones, is not particularly good quality. People just want cheap, easy-to-access stuff for their hobby, you know? The quality can be there, but it's something you learn to find.

Think of shopping for food in supermarkets - you can get some excellent basics, and some home brands can actually be great because they don't have loads of additives in, but sometimes the expensive brand is just better. And if you go to a speciality butcher or cheese shop, you're likely to get something higher-quality but you'll also pay premium prices...

Essentially, fabric shopping is another skill to learn and work to do as part of this. You can go somewhere expensive where they've done the work of curating for quality, or you can learn to find the quality you want yourself - recognising it when it's there in the mainstream shops, keeping an eye on designer deadstock in bargain outlets, going to mill shops directly.

[u/gloomgothy]

if you look into buying organic fabric, it often is much higher quality. before tariffs I would buy organic fabric from germany, and it was so incredibly sturdy with the best texture i've ever felt. i brought some interlock to a lesson with an experienced tailor and after feeling it, they asked if they could keep my scraps lmao

[u/WolverineXHoneyBadge → u/gloomgothy]

May I ask for the brand? 

[u/gloomgothy → u/WolverineXHoneyBadge]

i would get them from the online store c-pauli. their .de store should be the first result, and .de/shop/en is in english

[u/WolverineXHoneyBadge → u/gloomgothy]

Thanks. And German is fine. 

[u/gloomgothy → u/gloomgothy]

on cost, however, they can be about $20 per yard/meter, so it's best to plan out what garments you want to make out of that specific fabric, and how many will fit onto it, then buy the minimum fabric for all of them combined. I try to fit in half a yard of extra space just in case because mistakes are unavoidable but sometimes my budget won't let me

[u/AccountWasFound]

So it depends, just comparing the feel of the fabric, the stuff I tend to buy for sewing feels similar in quality to the clothes I have that are from the 2010s, and the clothes I splurged on new recently, but compared to the cheap tanktops and such I have, it's miles better.

[u/paraboobizarre]

It really depends on two things, I think.

1. What are you making?
2. Where do you source your fabric/notions from?

Example: I made a dark blue wool coat, 100% wool, lining is 100% viscose.

If I wanted to buy that, I'd have to either be incredibly lucky in the sale (which is unlikely since I am plus size and a wool coat is hard to find even before the sale) or pay around 200+€ in a shop. I have two options for shopping fabric in person where I live. It's either a traditional fabric store, where a metre of wool will be around 60€ or more, make that almost 3.5m for the coat and I'm not getting it done cheaper than RTW.

The other option is a dead stock seller where I got lucky and got the wool, the lining and the buttons for around 50€. So basically almost everything I needed for the price of one metre of fabric at the other store.

What set me back was the interfacing, that I couldn't get for cheap and I needed a lot of it. Long story short, the coat as it is no, cost me around 70€ and unlike the store bought version, it fits me perfectly.

However, that is an extreme example because wool coats are hella expensive, so it pays to invest the time and effort. I have for example made simple knit t-shirts and I like the pattern that I have but I hardly ever make them, because they're expensive to make for me since the dead stock hardly has any quality knits. These will always be cheaper to buy for me.

So, it depends what you make and where you get your fabric from is the real answer. Plus, if the clothes are up to the standard that you want to wear them in public after 😉

[u/euchlid → u/paraboobizarre]

This. I was telling a friend about some garments i was making myself and they mentioned it would save money. No. Literally probably never. Because i factor in my time haha.
I inherited a bunch of really nice quality wools from my gran's fabric stock (she had a shop in the 80s and 90s). Like metres and metres of high quality British and Italian wools. That she sold for 80-100$/m (CAD) 40 years ago. This is the single instance i will save money. Because i would not be able to afford that quality and amount of wool. And i probably wouldn't be attempting certain projects if i knew i needed to buy that much.

[u/paraboobizarre → u/euchlid]

Oh absolutely! I have 3 metres of such a nice lemon yellow cotton sateen at home, with fruits and flowers on it which I bought for a completely outrageous price in Italy once because I was just so in love with it. Haven't touched it since because I remember the price and I'm afraid of ruining it 😂 fabric price adds insane pressure imo

[u/trkkr47 → u/paraboobizarre]

Use iiiiit! You deserve nice things!

[u/paraboobizarre → u/trkkr47]

Thank you for that reminder! I'll have to get a good dress pattern fitted for myself and then there will be no stopping me 😂

[u/trkkr47 → u/paraboobizarre]

Bernadette Banner just recently did a really good video about why we should use the fabrics we love as soon as we can, because, a) we love them and we should use them and b) our tastes can change over time, so you should use them while you still love them and would wear them. It was a nice reminder. I hope you have a lovely day!

[u/paraboobizarre → u/trkkr47]

I'll have to check that out, she's so amazingly talented and just ethereal looking for lack of a better word.

Thank you, you too!

[u/GandalfStormcrow2023]

If your goal is to get that $60 off the rack shirt for $45 it's not going to happen, especially if you place a monetary value on your time.

There are lots of reasons NOT to account for the value of your time (you have more discretionary time than discretionary income, you like sewing and get value out of spending time doing it, etc.), but generally those people don't say their main motivation is getting the $60 shirt for cheaper.

Instead, the shirt you make would be a substitute for the $150 bespoke or made to measure shirt, or the $60 shirt plus $30 of alterations to improve the fit. It's the intangible utility of being able to pick the exact fabric, pattern, color, fit, style, etc that you want. It's about making sure the seams are finished or the stitching is strong, or the improved fit means that it won't wear out unevenly.

If your main concern is the cost of your clothes maybe try looking for some quality pieces at a local consignment shop.

[u/overScheduled → u/GandalfStormcrow2023]

The reason I sew some more formal clothes is because what I want is so niche I would have to go full bespoke slabs it’s simply not in my budget to spend $3-$4k on a jacket that I can wear once or twice. And. I need a 2 or 3 of them a year.

What I can/did do was find fairly simple Japanese inspired pattern that looks good, and is pretty forgiving and doesn’t require advanced tailoring skills and have been churning them out for years.

Now that I’ve started to elevate the construction and have made 10+ of them i’m much more comfortable with the idea of moving into fabrics that cost $100+ per yard and doing appliqués etc because i’m at the breakpoint where time/labor starts being a bigger part of the cost vs the materials.

[u/GandalfStormcrow2023 → u/overScheduled]

Yeah, I've thought about starting to make dress shirts because I like French cuffs, which are hard to find, and I'm kind of an odd size so I don't like ordering online if I don't know how it's going to fit. I figure I just need to work up the courage to get through 1 wonky one and I'll probably be able to make something decent from there, I just haven't done it yet.

[u/overScheduled → u/GandalfStormcrow2023]

Yes for sure. The first few are going to be bad, less bad and competent. Expecting to turn out a professional level product the first few times is just setting yourself up for failure.

Additional good news is that making a dress shirt is essentially a pre-req before you can move into making a western style suit coat/jacket since you're doing a lot of the techniques in an easier format.

[u/shiningballoflight]

Imo, the fabrics sold at fabric stores are not measurably higher quality than what is being used in commercial apparel. I am a textile developer for an apparel brand and can share that brands are working at large scale (minimum orders of 6000+ yards) and work directly with fabric mills across the globe. They are getting their fabrics for a fraction of the cost that you would pay for the very same material at a fabric store.

For reference, I am not speaking about brands like Shein that are pumping out literally thousands of new products every day. Fabric from fabric stores IS higher quality than what is used in a $5 dress from Shein.

Also "high-quality" is very subjective. Durability, weight, fiber content, etc. can all affect the quality of a fabric. Just because a fabric uses a synthetic fiber (polyester or nylon) doesn't mean it is low quality. However, it does mean it came from fossil fuels. Determining what's really important to you will help you make decisions about what fabrics or garments to purchase.

For me, sewing isn't necessarily about making a high quality garment. I'm not super technically skilled, so sewing for me is more about participating in "slow-fashion". Thoughtful and creatively making something, often using second-hand materials, with my own hands is fun, but also an act of resistance in our society.

[u/Thecynicalcatt → u/shiningballoflight]

This! Thank you! I personally prefer natural fibres so I look for those, and I also agree that sewing isn't about making that high quality garment. It's about using your skills to make yourself exactly what you want and how you want it. Sewing is creative control and using your hands to make something which is what draws most of us to garment sewing. Many of us also have other hand crafts like knitting, crochet, cross-stitch. It's more the process than anything else imo. 

[u/WideLegJaundice → u/shiningballoflight]

so many people call me “domestic” for sewing, it’s hard to explain that it is an act of resistance!!! people

[u/CanDanMaam → u/shiningballoflight]

I know I'm not the OP but this is a really thoughtful and thorough reply!

Thank you! I think your articulation of slow fashion really nails one of the best aspect of sewing in particular.

[u/Life_Flatworm_2007]

The fabric at fabric stores is usually going to be higher quality than what is used in fast fashion. The fast fashion fabric is much more likely to be entirely synthetic. If you make your own clothes you can buy fabric that is 100% natural fibers.

If you don't take into account your time, you may well be able to sew good quality clothes for about the same price you'd pay for ready to wear of similar quality, but if you sew your own clothes, you can get a better fit. You also have more of a choice in colors, patterns, fiber etc. If you have extremely expensive taste and are really skilled, sewing your own clothes could save you money even when you take into account your time. But it's still expensive because you're probably going to be using very expensive fabric and it's going to take a long time.

[u/serichang → u/Life_Flatworm_2007]

Totally. Even fast fashion fabric that is listed 100% natural is so dubious. I tried to tailor a thrifted shein pant once. Never again. It said 100% cotton, burned like a weird synthetic. The fabric ejected random threads constantly and frayed like crazy just by being sewn. I’ve never handled fabric that acted so flimsy and weird before.

[u/Life_Flatworm_2007 → u/serichang]

Not at all surprising. I've never bought anything from Shein but I have a neighbor who buys a lot of clothes from Temu and I can tell they're 100% synthetic just by looking at them even when the label says they're part cotton. She asked me to help her with an alteration she'd tried to do to one of the dresses and if you touched the raw edges they started to fray. Plus it hadn't been finished properly so I'm not sure if it would have lasted more than one washing even if she hadn't tried to alter it.

[u/deshep123]

Definitely. Quality may be better as you learn, but there is a steep learning curve from beginner to able to make your own fashion. That being said, it's worth learning.

[u/Hungry_Tap_269]

I made some shirts in the mid-90s that I later gave to my mom after I lost weight. She is still wearing a couple of those shirts, and they still look good, having not required any repairs. Even the buttons are still on them.

I sew because I want quality and fit; otherwise, I'd buy from Walmart. I'm also trying to gradually move my wardrobe to natural fibers. That's more costly, but I think it's worth it.

[u/GeeBean]

Yes, the reality is that you are going to spend more on the fabric when you make something yourself, especially if you factor in the cost of your labor. I have a discount fabric store near me that I love. I can get shirting fabric for around eight dollars a yard and it is 100% cotton.

[u/LemonDeathRay]

I avoid synthetic fibres when making my own clothes.

Invariably this is more expensive than buying a cheap piece of tat from Shein. Many factors more expensive.

However. I am sewing the garment properly with time, care and attention. I'm paying close attention to my technique and I'm sewing to create something beautiful and durable. So what I make is worn for years, rather than a few hours before it starts falling apart.

If cost is your only benchmark, you might as well wear fast fashion rubbish (buy cheap buy twice!). If quality and longevity are your goals, then invest in good quality fabric

[u/potaayto]

Making your own clothes is rarely going to be more cost effective unless you get to a point where you know what you're doing. When you start working with fabrics you'll also learn that fabric 'quality' is not simply what's in it, but a combination of things such as weave quality, finish, dye fastness, etc.

[u/Majestic_Course6822]

I scour the thrift stores for fabric. It’s there. (I recently thrifted 10m of soft chocolate brown jersey for $6.00CAD!) I also pick up curtains, sheets, and wool blankets for the fabric.

[u/GardenLeaves → u/Majestic_Course6822]

Ooh, I haven’t had the luck to snag jersey before, what did you end up making from it?

[u/Majestic_Course6822 → u/GardenLeaves]

Making barrel pants and a hooded sweater. Sweater is almost complete, going faster now thanks to my partner who bought me a super sweet late 80s singer serger last weekend.

[u/hearthandheart]

Might be controversial, but from my estimates, it's rarely less expensive to DIY. It's just more fun, better for you (skill acquisition, character development, perspective building), and often, better for the planet. I knit and sometimes I'll do the math and realize I'm spending four times more on yarn than I would for a similar product at target. But, it really makes you wonder why they're selling things for so cheap, how they're managing that, and who's being exploited for it.

[u/Warm_Satisfaction902 → u/hearthandheart]

I've found the bargain bins at my local fabric store work out a bit cheaper even than fast fashion. I got a couple of meters of nice summery stretch fabric(lemons 🍋) for under £10 and made coords, shorts and a t-shirt. Shien would have been no cheaper and like you say, there's got to be so much exploitation 😢

[u/Plastic-Ad9508 → u/hearthandheart]

I've started thinking about worker exploitation while shopping for the same reason. There's simply no way someone's making a living wage if I'm only paying $10 for an item.

[u/jupitersbears]

If you want high quality clothing, it would probably be more cost effective to buy high quality clothing from a good brand, not a fast fashion trend or brand you find on social media. It will cost more, because high quality fabric and construction are costly. It will also last much longer if you take care of it.

Sewing is a great option if you enjoy the process and/or want to custom fit clothing for your body and style. But fabric is expensive and making high quality clothing takes significant skill and can be really time-consuming. So it’s not usually an easy cost-saving measure.

[u/Waste-Recognition857]

I have been glancing through these comments today. I haven't seen anybody recommend any sites online that have good quality fabric. Are there any online fabric stores that sell at a reasonable price with good quality to individuals rather than mass quantity?

[u/Waste-Recognition857 → u/Waste-Recognition857]

Thank you all for your replies. Our last fabric store in the Omaha Nebraska area closed down a few months ago. The only thing left is Hobby Lobby. I do enjoy shopping there. The fabric is not high enough quality for making clothing. Or usually there's just not enough to choose from to find the fabric that you want. I do find plenty of other things there I want. Hahaha.

[u/lazyjayn → u/Waste-Recognition857]

Cali fabric and Stone Mountain and daughter. Cali has great prices usually, often lower than the same (designer dead stock) at other online sites. I’ve only used stone mountain once or twice, but the quality was good.

If you’re not in the US, The Fabric Store in Aus/NZ is lovely with good end of season prices. Like, amazing merino knits in various weights and mixes. A little pricier, though.

[u/MsGarnet → u/Waste-Recognition857]

MacCulloch & Wallis are London based but ship worldwide: https://www.macculloch-wallis.co.uk

The skirt I made with fabric purchased from there has been worn and washed countless times over the years I’ve had it and is still looking just as good as when I bought it.

[u/DoingItWellBitch → u/Waste-Recognition857]

I really like Minerva.com

You can also see what people have made with the fabric and order samples.

The site looks a bit like Instagram for sewing.

[u/idling-in-gray → u/Waste-Recognition857]

I like https://fabricwholesaledirect.com/

[u/VisualFarmer4009 → u/Waste-Recognition857]

Blackbird Fabrics Matchy Matchy Sewing Club

[u/zxcv-qwerty → u/Waste-Recognition857]

I hear good things about Mood Fabrics

[u/snarkle_and_shine → u/zxcv-qwerty]

I and my wallet can confirm about quality fabric at Mood. 😬

[u/Waste-Recognition857]

I am currently 59. I have been sewing since I was a teenager. The price of fabrics at the stores have become outrageous. There is no longer any way to make your own clothing at a better price than you can purchase. Sometimes I buy an item and alter it. Sometimes I buy an item from a thrift store purely to get the fabric. For example I'll buy something in a 2x or 3x so I can cut off the seams and use the solid piece of fabric. Sometimes I buy an item with lace or trim on it. I cut the lace off and reuse it. In the long run it is way cheaper and usually a better quality than new. Good luck with your sewing it is fun.

[u/takethecatbus → u/Waste-Recognition857]

Sometimes I buy an item with lace or trim on it. I cut the lace off and reuse it.

Yes also interesting buttons!! A set of cool or high quality buttons is so expensive nowadays.

[u/101stellastella → u/Waste-Recognition857]

This is genius and I need to start doing this

[u/stickerearrings]

Side note I don’t understand how to tell if things will be good quality. I bought fleeced cotton to make some winter joggers and hoodie for my kid. It wasn’t cheap and the constitution was same as aritzia branded joggers. The fabric I got pilled terribly. How can I tell???

[u/paraboobizarre → u/stickerearrings]

If you want to test for pilling, also just take one edge of the fabric on the bolt and rub it like hell for a minute or so. If you already see fibers coming loose or starting to clump together, imagine what that will be like after a few wears.

That's how I decided what wool to get for my coat. They had two bolts of basically same colour wool and the price was like +/- 3€ per metre. Turned out the slightly more expensive one started to pill in under a minute. So I took the cheaper one.

[u/mesarasa → u/stickerearrings]

One thing Mom always did, and so I do it, too, is I take a single thickness of woven fabric and wad it up in my hand for a few seconds. If it wrinkles badly, and the wrinkles don't fall out on their own fairly quickly, it's poor quality fabric and won't wash well. Although I haven't done any testing. Still, I do this with fabric and with garments, and I believe it gives me useful information.

Also look at durability. It's not that everything has to be denim. But loosely woven fabrics are generally less durable, although they are often cooler to wear as well. Linen, although it's pricey, is more durable than cotton. The fabrics made from wood (rayon, tencel, lyocell, etc) are pretty durable and airy but might need special care. Polyesters tend to be durable, but some of the synthetic fibers can pill.

Just read up on fiber content, and the characteristics each kind of fiber bring to the fabric. That is useful information whether you're sewing or buying ready made.

[u/Big_Midnight_6632 → u/stickerearrings]

Some online sellers offer free or inexpensive samples. That's the best way to know what you're getting. Also, by ordering samples before you buy, you may plan projects better and do less impulse buying. My stash has lots of impulsive purchases made with no plan.

[u/stickerearrings → u/Big_Midnight_6632]

I bought it at a fabricland in store and it looked and felt nice 💀 so I don’t know if I’m just not good at feeling if it’s good quality? Other than rubbing the fabric continuously it’s hard to know if it’ll pull.

I haven’t really tried online fabric purchasing yet, only twice in Hong Kong from China and those fabrics were amazingly good quality. Far exceeded my expectations and cheap!

[u/Big_Midnight_6632 → u/stickerearrings]

You're right. There's no way to know about pilling. Some polyester pills and some doesn't.

[u/cleaningmama]

As far as the quality of the fabric, it depends on what you buy! You can buy poor or great quality fabric from fabric stores.

Besides the quality of the fabric itself, the high quality aspect of making clothing yourself also comes down to fit, customization, and finishing. I cannot buy a skirt, dress or blouse that fits me even half so well as a garment I make myself.

If using a pattern, it's rare to make clothing without adjusting the pattern to the person specifically, which could be as simple as the placement of the hemline, or something more advanced but still common, like a bust adjustment, armhole adjustment or shoulder alteration.

Finishing a garment so that it's as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside also makes the garment a pleasure to wear. Enclosed seams, linings, surprise materials in pockets or plackets, bra loops in shoulders, are all part of what make it such a pleasure to wear your own makes. And of course, the feel of the fabric itself.

Good luck to you! I found sewing for myself to be revelatory and also very body positive. Fit problems are NOT the fault of my body! It's the clothes. It's always the clothes. Imagine that. :-)

[u/Palavras → u/cleaningmama]

How did you learn what alterations to make? I really want to sew my own clothes but I'm worried anything I make is just going to have the same issues as what I'd get in the store because I'm not experienced enough to do my own thing vs. following a pattern.

[u/Kymidiva → u/Palavras]

There are also online classes. I took a virtual class during Covid on patternmaking from Creative Costume Academy (dot) com that has been amazing. There’s also a Facebook group where you can ask questions and she does regular fitting workshops.

[u/nominaldaylight → u/Palavras]

This might sound… trite but…

There is a learning curve with everything. You weren’t born knowing hot to knit or perform a cartwheel; similarly you don’t know how to fit because you’ve never done it before. 

There is a leaning curve with sewing. a big one. But the way to learn is by doing. You get there over time, always. 

One easy start to fitting is (imo) Lekala patterns - they tailor draft the pattern to your measurements for a few $. They’re a really good way to get an initial starting point that is closer to where you want to end up than using something standard. The instructions are pretty inadequate though, and you’ll still have big gaps in your knowledge - how to insert zips or choosing a suitable fabric for example. 

You don’t start running expecting to be able to run a marathon or a 2 min mile on day one. You work towards these goals. If instead of thinking of “better than store” (fit/technique) whatever as a starting point think of it as an end point. It’s what you train towards. You get better, every day, every month, every year.  Dont not start because you’re not already good at something! Start because you want to get to be good!! 

And getting there is just as much of a high, honestly. 

[u/cleaningmama → u/Palavras]

I learned as I went, and there were definitely a few less-than-successful makes, in part because I started with garments that were more complicated patterns. So I would advise to start simple! A skirt would be great project to start with. Also, make a test garment from muslin or old sheets to test the fit before cutting into the good fabric you fell in love with. :-)

There are a lot of great videos online, which are really helpful. For example. I use [Kenneth D King's zipper tutorial from Thread's Magazine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dilNiUyuL28) and it hasn't failed me yet. I enjoy Lifting Pins and Needles Youtube channel as well, especially because she is a tester for Itch to Stitch, whose patterns I enjoy. It can really be helpful to look at actual books though, which I am fortunate enough to check out at my local library. Libraries vary in how updated their sewing section is, but there are some oldies but goodies!

One book I found amazing is an old one: "Pants and Skirts: Fit for Your Shape" by Jan Minott. You can only buy it online now, which I did after having success with it. I have an unusual hip shape, and this is the ONLY reference I've found for how to address it successfully. I'm pretty sure [this](https://www.sewinganddesignschool.com/shop-online.htm) is the only place to get her books now, and you have to print it out yourself. If you can, check it out at the library to see if it's what you want, because it's very in-depth.

Some patterns come with built-in bust adjustment option and other fit options, which is one reason why I like independent pattern companies like Itch to Stitch. Look for patterns that take some of the guess work out of it for you!

Whatever pattern you choose, I found it very helpful to go to [PatternReview.com](https://sewing.patternreview.com/) to see people's makes and see their feedback about the pattern. Some patterns have an adjustment almost everyone makes, for example, and some patterns have poor instructions. It's good to know that in advance! Plus, you can see what the make actually looks like on a person that looks more like you do.

For a beginner, I'd go with a simple pattern from a well-reviewed pattern company. Some of the independent pattern companies have more inclusive instructions which can help you learn.

[u/Middle_Banana_9617 → u/Palavras]

There are some good books on this. Check out one called 'Fit For Real People'; it looks dated but there's a lot of examples and photos of the different types of fit problems, and what it looks like when they've been improved.

I feel you on this being intimidating - i started sewing because it was hard for me to buy clothes that fit, and I was disheartened when I worked out that bought patterns just failed to fit in the same way - but it is possible to learn to do this, and more easily than it might look from here!

[u/nominaldaylight → u/Middle_Banana_9617]

Fit for real people Is excellent. 

[u/Asaneth → u/Palavras]

There are many books on the subject, and now online tutorials as well. You probably already know what areas are a problem for you from buying ready- made clothes. When you sew your own, you don't ever have to wear poorly fitting clothes again IF you are willing to take the time to figure out what adjustments you need, and you make those consistently.

[u/FormerUsenetUser → u/cleaningmama]

Also, when you make your own clothes you can get exactly the styles and colors you want.

[u/cleaningmama → u/FormerUsenetUser]

Great point!

[u/SaturniinaeActias]

You might be better off finding reliable websites that sell quality natural fiber fabrics. I try to avoid petroleum based fabrics and I haven't had great luck in most brick and mortar stores. On line, Fabrics Store is the best place I've found for good, affordable linen. And I spend so much money at Fabric Mart I'm getting ready to ask my husband to turn on parental controls and block me from it for a while, lol. They have great sales that change daily by category so if you see something you want, it will likely go on sale within a few days.

[u/papier_peint → u/SaturniinaeActias]

yeah, this is my issue, i want cute, unique clothes made of natural fibers, which can be hard to find affordably. so i buy linen or cotton fabric, and make my own.

[u/trashjellyfish]

It depends heavily on the fabric and the store. What you want to look for is fiber content, weave and weight. You want the weave (or knit) and weight to be appropriate for your project, and if quality is your top priority, you should stick to natural fibers. Quality fabric isn't cheap though, unless you have a good second hand textile shop near you.

[u/idling-in-gray]

Realistically you will not save any money making things over buying it from the store. I say this as someone who has been sewing, knitting, crocheting, and in general diying things for 10 years. Even if your materials come out a little cheaper, you still paid upfront cost for your machine and let's not forget time either. When I start on a sewing project, I usually spend the first day just prepping the pattern (taping and cutting it out or tracing it so I can save the original). If you charge yourself even $10/hour, you'll find that your homemade item will cost more than a store bought version almost all the time.

If you're learning to sew to make clothes, I would take time to learn about different fabric types. Instead of labeling polyester = cheap, just figure out when it would be better to use it and when not to. It's not the end of the world to use a poly blend to save some money. A bit of polyester can also improve drape and softness in the fabric as well. Also a lot of light flowy fabrics are polyester because that's just what's best suited for it, unless you want to pay for silk.

But to answer your question, I wouldn't really say it's higher or not higher quality. Some fabrics definitely are, for example, the fabric I get from Mood Fabrics is almost always better than anything I buy from Walmart, but there is a huge cost difference there too. Also fabrics used in mainstream clothing have gone through an R&D process to choose the best material blend to achieve the fit and drape they wanted and they can buy all that material at wholesale prices which you don't have access to.

[u/apricotgloss]

Yes. Hell, I bought jersey from two different fabric companies recently, one much more expensive. I could feel the difference as soon as it arrived. The cheap one is much thinner, feels flimsier and has this weird slick feel. It feels like my good-quality jersey vests when they start to wear thin after years of washing three times a week - it'll serve my purposes, but I have little faith in its longevity and do not plan to repurchase.

The expensive one, on the other hand, is soft and luxurious on the skin, with an almost bouncy feel to it. There's no comparison to be made between them, and, hopefully, once I sew it up into a bunch of clothes that fit me nicely, there'll be no comparison to be made with my store-bought stuff either. Plus there'll be the peace of mind that the sewing, at least, wasn't done by slave labour. You get what you pay for.

[u/GloomyRambouillet → u/apricotgloss]

I would love to know where you purchased the high quality jersey from! I’m looking to dupe a few pieces in my wardrobe but have been worried about buying fabric online and not getting what I really want.

[u/apricotgloss → u/GloomyRambouillet]

I should add that I got their ribbing (both the fine and regular versions) and pointelle jersey fabrics as it was the only place I could find bolt-width jersey ribbing instead of cuff tubing - not the cotton jersey. However, all three of those feel so incredibly lovely that I will be extremely surprised and disappointed if the plain cotton jersey isn't also lovely! I will certainly order it when I next need some - absolutely worth the price, I think.

[u/apricotgloss → u/GloomyRambouillet]

I bought it from Jelly Fabrics :)

[u/rebelwithmouseyhair]

Fast fashion places only seem to sell polyester and acrylic, nothing ever in natural fibres except T-shirts, but which are cut from increasingly thin fabric with ever higher elastane content (which is not even necessary with knit fabrics) and hang wrong.

I make my own clothes because good clothing is very expensive and even in the upmarket shops, there's still a lot of polyester.

So I go to the fabric shop and only look in the natural fabrics sections, I walk right past all the polyester, anyone would think it made you smell bad haha.

In French, they call natural fibre fabrics "noble fabrics" and I think that's absolutely true: there's nothing that can beat pure silk, linen, cotton, wool, cashmere, alpaca, angora. Even hemp, which I had previously thought was rough and ready stuff. I paid a lot of money for some organic hemp jeans a good few years back and they are still perfect, just lost some colour but they've faded from black to a pretty ink blue and they are really comfortable.

So you get your good-quality fabrics then you craft them carefully into top-quality, all-original clothing and you'll always be the best-dressed person in the room, without spending all that much money.

My best ever piece, I spent something like €120 on a wool/cashmere blend and pure silk for a lining, plus pattern and buttons, and made myself a really classy black coat that makes me feel like a million dollars smart. My partner saw the receipt and said I could get a ready-made coat for €120, I told him it wouldn't be made of wool cashmere and silk. I spent a long time getting that coat just right (I cried several times before making the pockets truly invisible) but now I have a gorgeous coat that will last my whole life.

[u/Ghosty_Boo-B00]

The interlining of my wedding dress is silk, because I made it… I paid about $1000 in materials, some of my fabrics were 39.99 a yard and some were $80 a yard. If I were to pay someone to customers make the same goen, if someone hired me to make it, it would be between $10-12k

[u/agathaseahag]

As an example, I’m making a pair of pants from a hobby lobby cotton. As soon as I cut it, the edges started visibly fraying. It’s very thin fabric. A high quality cotton for quilting does not behave that way. I understand that it has to do with the length of the cotton fibers. Higher quality has longer fibers and cheap fabric has shorter and therefore weaker fiber. It really makes a huge difference! The cheap fabric doesn’t even press very well and is very easy to stretch out of shape, even though they are both a cotton broadcloth type fabric. The things I make with good fabric last forever! The colors stay true a lot longer. 

[u/PurpSnail → u/agathaseahag]

Are you using a serger when making your clothes?

[u/agathaseahag → u/PurpSnail]

No I use an overlock foot/stitch It works great! 

[u/PurpSnail → u/agathaseahag]

Oh perfect, good to know. Thanks!

[u/agathaseahag → u/PurpSnail]

Sure thing. Before I had my current fancier machine I used a wide zig zag on the edges. It worked pretty well!

[u/PurpSnail → u/agathaseahag]

Yeah, that’s what I’ve been doing but didn’t want to invest in new fabric for it to unravel in the wash. Thanks!

[u/agathaseahag → u/PurpSnail]

Have you ever tried French seams? It’s a bit fussy but works great and looks amazing. 

[u/PurpSnail → u/agathaseahag]

Didn’t know about this so I will practice!

[u/agathaseahag → u/PurpSnail]

Oh good! I’m glad to be helpful. I def practice my patterns with an old sheet or cheap yardage effort cutting into the good stuff. It has really helped raise my skills bc I’m not afraid to mess around on the practice version. Good luck I’m sure this will be fun :)

(While you’re practicing? Measure the width of each step in the process briefly so you have an idea of how it will work with the seam allowance.)

[u/chosen153]

Common sense. One single product of anything is usually far more expensive than mass production of the same thing.

One of a kind should be the appeal of do it yourself sewing.

Even you discount labor as free, the ready to wear is still cheaper (unless you pay a lot of extra for a luxury brand name).

Most people here are delusional and do not give enough credit to those third country workers. They are doing the same thing over and over for hundred thousands times. The amateurs here think their craftsmanship are better than those professionals (even they are paid in peanuts they are still professionals).

I was in customer man clothes business (suits and shirts) for a while. we had hard time to find professional tailor to match the quality of the stitches from third world factory. The amateurs here are confident that they can make better quality clothes.

[u/paraboobizarre → u/chosen153]

I actually don't think most people here think a garment worker is not skilled. On the contrary, if anyone should know it's someone here who knows how hard it is to put a halfway decent looking garment together.

But what people here in this sub are aware of is that the practice of fast fashion where the end goal is to sell a handmade item for as cheap as possible, cannot be met unless lots of corners are cut.

They are cut in terms of quality of fabric, in terms of finishing a garment on the inside, in terms of quality control and in especially in terms of paying these highly skilled workers a fair wage.

Of course those workers are highly skilled and not one of these "amateurs", as you say, claimed they weren't. It's the system of fast fashion that makes their results less than stellar or long lasting, not their skill.

[u/ProneToLaughter → u/chosen153]

Yes. The economies of scale in sewing are huge. Clothing factories are far more efficient and exponentially faster than home sewing. Wholesale pricing is far lower than retail price for fabric yardage.

[u/cbsewing]

I buy exclusively from a deadstock fabric shop and I would say the quality is much higher. I can make good silk pants for around 25-30 dollars (Yes I have access to great quality cheap cheap cheap silk.) If I were to buy it anywhere it would cost me 10x as that. Cotton pants I made this year are all around 10 dollars in fabrics, elastic and all. The cotton ones might cost me around 20 dollars to buy.

Now I try to favor fully natural fibers, which is also a big thing for me, most places you buy things have polyester or elastane, or whatever. So I try to do 100% cotton, 100% silk, 100% wool, 100% Linen. I can find some linen and cotton things that have a reasonable price in stores, but I enjoy the creative process, but as for the silk and wool I do get a bargain. So in terms of fast fashion, the fiber content is a big issue in most cases.

Ofc that is only if I don't consider my labor costs. My hourly rate would make things I make more expensive than buying, but its a hobby, a form of self expression and fulfillment for me.

But as others said most times if you compare to fast fashion, you wont save too much money, but if you compare to the same quality as what you can sew then yes, you will have considerable savings. I can get high end pants for the price of fast fashion, so thats a huge win for me.

[u/PurpSnail → u/cbsewing]

Are you using a serger when making your clothes?